Editing Control grid (section)

== Operation ==
In a valve, the hot cathode emits negatively charged [[electron]]s, which are attracted to and captured by the anode, which is given a positive voltage by a power supply.  The control grid between the cathode and anode functions as a "gate" to control the current of electrons reaching the anode.  A more negative voltage on the grid will repel the electrons back toward the cathode so fewer get through to the anode.  A less negative, or positive, voltage on the grid will allow more electrons through, increasing the anode current.  A given change in grid voltage causes a proportional change in plate current, so if a time-varying voltage is applied to the grid, the plate current waveform will be a copy of the applied grid voltage. 

A relatively small variation in voltage on the control grid causes a significantly large variation in anode current.  The presence of a resistor in the anode circuit causes a large variation in voltage to appear at the anode.  The variation in anode voltage can be much larger than the variation in grid voltage which caused it, and thus the tube can amplify, functioning as an [[amplifier]].